SUITS: Strong Female Characters I’ve Overlooked

I can’t believe I haven’t been writing about Suits. I mean, I watched the pilot and liked it, but then it kind of fell off my grid – until last week when I marathoned the entire season and a half in a space of about two days. (Insert bug-eyed smiley here.) Now I know what everyone has known since last year – Suits is a fantastic show and everyone should be watching it if they aren’t already. I mean EVERYONE!

Suits stars Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams as two lawyers in a very powerful and prominent law firm, Pearson Hardman. Well, Macht is the lawyer, Adams is the boy genius who remembers everything he’s ever read, watched or experienced in his life. He went to law school but had to leave to care for his ailing grandmother. When he decides to try for a job as an assistant to Harvey Specter, he lands the job, but Harvey knows that Mike never took the Bar. But if you’ve followed the show, you already know what it’s about.

In any case, I’m not here to talk about the two leading men, I’m here to draw attention to the three ladies of the show that demand your attention. Jessica Pearson (Gina Torres), Donna (Sarah Rafferty) and Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle).

Gina Torres as Jessica PearsonPhoto by: Robert Ascroft/USA Network

Jessica Pearson is of course one of the founders of the firm, and she is one tough lady. You definitely want her on your case fighting in your corner because to think of the alternative is deadly. In a legal battle she will take you in, chew you up and spit you back out again, all without messing a single strand of hair or wrinkling her drop-dead gorgeous dresses. She’s smart, sophisticated and in episode 2.06 we learned that she has a devious prankster side to her as well. Bottom line: don’t mess with Jess.

Sarah Rafferty as DonnaPhoto by: Robert Ascroft/USA Network

Donna is Harvey’s secretary and probably the only person in the world who actually knows Harvey Specter. She also makes it her business to everything that goes on at the firm. Simply put, if Donna knows nothing about it, it didn’t happen. Donna has a special talent for reading people too. If it weren’t for her, Mike Ross would not be working for Harvey. She knew about Mike’s secret, but she also knew that Harvey and Mike would work well together. She just needed to convince Harvey of that. Donna is a good friend too. She will be brutally honest with you, whether you ask her to or not. Just ask Rachel.

Meghan Markle as Rachel ZanePhoto by: Robert Ascroft/USA Network

Speaking of Rachel, she is the firm’s paralegal. She’s the only one besides Donna who stood up to Louis and won. No small thing, to be sure. Rachel is fighting for her own identity in primarily a man’s world. She is the daughter of a very wealthy and powerful man, though she doesn’t like to talk about it. I think she is working to prove a point to him, but we may find out more about the two in the second half of this season. Rachel has a thing for Mike Ross but the two seem destined to remain apart. Too many obstacles in their relationship has made it impossible for them to have anything more than a very brief moment earlier in season 2. There’s definitely more to Rachel than we’ve seen but she has proven that she handle whatever the men throw at her and come out shining. Did I mention she passed her LSATs with flying colors? Maybe she’ll be the next Jessica Pearson.

Suits returns January 17th with all new episodes to finish out its sophomore season. I’m looking forward to seeing what new challenges these three women will face and who will survive at Pearson Hardman.

About Liz

Liz is a wife and mother of three from the Nashville area who likes being able to discuss her favorite TV shows with adults sometimes. She is addicted to the Sookie Stackhouse novels and was a huge fan of the HBO series based on the books, True Blood. Her other favorite shows include Chuck, Grimm, Pretty Little Liars, Once Upon a Time, The Blacklist, Witches of East End, The Goldbergs, Sleepy Hollow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, just to name a few. Contact her at bethanne@nicegirlstv.com.